Smartphones are finally starting to offer better battery life, and I couldn’t be happier about it

For many years, my biggest gripe about smartphones — and probably yours, too — has been battery life. Despite repeated pleas from consumers and the media, runtime has remained stuck at about a day for most phones, at least without turning on special low-power modes that cripple features. Sometimes, even that much is unrealistic. I like my iPhone 16 Pro, but on days with work, the gym, and picking my son up from school, I often need an evening top-up just to avoid power slipping into the red.